


Black Cats Bring Bad Luck

by hawkheartedlion



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Hybrid AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-01 04:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12148935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkheartedlion/pseuds/hawkheartedlion
Summary: Max is suffering through another night of nocturnal induced insomnia when he decides a walk around camp, and into the surrounding forest, would help him get to sleep.





	1. Chapter One

David could feel his tail twitching in excitement. It was a Sunday night which meant that activities started up again Monday and he couldn't be happier. Ever since Parents Day and the revelation that Max wasn’t signed up for anything in particular David had made it his mission to find something that the young boy enjoyed. 

“What about a scavenger hunt around the camp? It would get them engaged and let them discover the camp on their own terms!”

“David, they’ve been here for a month, there’s not much more they can discover.”

“They can still find a love of camping, Gwen! It’s never too late to find a love for Camp Campbell.” 

Gwen rolled her eyes but smiled softly at his enthusiasm. It was sort of endearing how determined he was to get people to enjoy this lame camp he loved. “Just try and keep it manageable this time okay? We don't need another day of riot control camp, one was enough to last me a lifetime when it comes to these little brats.”

“Maybe we could do a “monster hunt” on Spooky Island? That could be fun right?” He wrung his hands together nervously and his tail kept twitching in a mix of emotions. Gwen sighed at her co-counselor's antics. He could get worked up over the simplist of things. 

“We’ll do a scavenger hunt tomorrow just to make it an easy day. I assume you can make a list of things they can find in the woods? All we’ll have to think of then is a prize to get them to participate. We can pair them up or get them in groups.” Her ears flicked back to emphasize her point as she lazily swung her tail. “Who knows, Max might like the freedom to run around like the little hellraiser he is.”

“You’re right Gwen.” He ignored her comment about how she always was as he continued, “I’ll go call lights out for the campers and then come back to figure out a list. Would you want to figure out a reward for our winners?” 

Gwen looked up at her red squirrel boyfriend from where she leaned against their shared coffee table. She pushed herself off from the table, ignoring the way it wobbled under her, and grabbed David’s hands. “Clam down, I’ll think of something that will appeal to the kids, you just worry about getting all the little shits into bed.” She gave him a peck on the cheek before shoving him out the cabin door. “Now go burn off some of that energy before coming back in. Your anxious pacing is making me anxious.” She was about to close the door on the happily blushing squirrel when a thought occurred to her, “And I swear to god if I have to climb another tree to get you down I’ll toss your fluffy tail in the lake.” 

“That smell takes forever to get out of fur!” 

“Then don’t go climbing any trees. We both win.” She shut the door on him and went back to the table. While he was gone she might be able to finish the next chapter of Boobs and Butts before she had to start worrying about a prize for the campers. 

 

Max had his ears poised to take in any sound that might come from outside the tent that might indicate David had stopped by for his nightly check up. He had sent them to bed a few hours ago and while Nikki and Neil were asleep on their own cots, Max lay awake in his. He’d already decided it was likely he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Just another night laying in bed till David called them all for breakfast in the morning. 

His ears twitched at every little sound, making sure David wasn’t having a sleepless night as well. Gwen might prefer the nights but David was the one more often awake through them. He had the same insomnia that Max suffered from but if he was having a night awake like Max then he was spending it in his cabin. The only noise Max could hear was the sounds of the woods around him and the soft snores of his tent mates. It was driving him crazy. He had too much energy and nothing to do. 

Throwing the blankets off and getting off his cot was easy. Leaving the tent and heading towards the campgrounds was easy. It was all too easy and it seemed like it should be harder for a camper to just walk away from camp. If Max was still interested in running away from this hell hole it would have been so simple. He stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket and tried not to think about how it was almost like any other day at camp except it was dark. Now though it was just lonely. He flicked his long tail in annoyance at that thought in particular, no way was he actually getting sentimental about this. In the dark the camp looked even worse than it did in the day time. It was almost sad to think this place could get any worse. 

He took to walking the familiar trails around camp but even that didn't work. It was too simple there wasn't anything thought to it just the same muscle memory he’d had for years of navigating the place. His ears laid flat on his hair as he groaned. He pulled his hood up over both hair and ears as he turned towards the woods. Maybe a quick walk down one of the less frequented trails would help calm him down. It would be new and it wouldn't be too far from camp. It might not have been one of his brighter ideas but he was desperate. 

Besides he had been in these woods countless times before even if nothing looked familiar in the dark dense forest. He cursed the fact that even with night vision nothing looked familiar. It all just looked like forest. He found himself in a small alcove with a waterfall coming to a small pool. It was almost pretty if it wasn't for the fact that he was stuck here. Max was quickly coming to the conclusion that he would probably have to just wait it out for Gwen and David to come get him. He lashed his tail at the thought of staying in the woods all night but the alternative was to just get more lost. It would be best to just hunker down and wait for help, as much as he hated to admit it. Someone at that miserable camp should be able to follow his scent. It was a simple plan and something he could easily so long as nothing happened to prolong the night. That was when a chilling howl echoed out through the woods.

 

David’s ears perked up at the howl that reached the cabin. He quickly set down Gwen’s issue of Boobs and Butts back where he found it before waking her up gently.

“Gwen, you need to wake up,” he shook her lightly. “We need to get the campers into the Mess Hall.”

“What, Why?” 

“I think I just heard a wolf.”

Gwen frowned before pulling herself out of bed. “There haven't been reports of wolves for months, we never would have let the campers stay out in tents if there were wolves.” 

“Maybe they just moved back into the area, who knows. We need to move the kids though, we can’t keep them in those flimsy tents when there are predators running around the camp. I’ll go grab the extra blankets if you want to round up all the kids and get them into the Mess Hall.”

She quickly agreed before a thought caught up with her. “Are you sure you don't want me to go to the storage shed? I know it’s unlikely for them to be this close to camp but you do smell like squirrel. You might register as prey to them.”

“Some of the kids are prey species too and it would probably be better if you were with them right now. It's unlikely for those wolves to come close to camp but we don't need to leave an opportunity for anything to happen regardless.”

“If you’re sure. Just be careful. The kids will probably be happy enough just getting to sleep inside they won’t mind if it’s on the floor.”

“I'm sure. We need to make to sure they're protected first and foremost after all! Now go gather up our Camp Campbell campers while I go get some more bedding for them.” 

They both quickly left their cabin, still in pajamas but it would do the trick for now. Gwen headed towards the tents while David made his way to the storage shed. They both hoped, for once, that this would all be pointless and the preparation would be unnecessary come morning, but for now they were unwilling to take that chance.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David and Gwen come to realize that all the kids might not be accounted for while Max deals with the wolves.

Wolves. Of course it was wolves. It couldn’t be anything different. Max was trying to have a nice night and it was already going bad because he was lost. Why not add to the shitty pile that was his life? He at least made a note to thank all the gods that he didn't believe in that he wasn’t out here as a prey animal. God, being out here with wolves as a rabbit would probably stop his heart. Instead he only had to deal with the fear that, while he didn’t smell like a prey animal, he still smelled like lost little kid, which was probably just as good to a hungry wolf. Again he cursed his luck. 

 

David was pulling all the blankets out of storage he could carry. There weren’t a lot but there were a few left over, this year being a small one for Camp Campbell. They wouldn’t do much against the wood floors of the Mess Hall but they should at least keep some warmth from being lost to the floorboards. The kids could all sleep in a nest tonight, it might help them calm down and it would definitely help Gwen and him keep an eye on them.  
He cautiously turned back to the Mess Hall and took a sniff to be sure there wasn't anything wrong with the camp. Wolves wouldn’t usually stray this close to a populated camp but it was a risk he wasn't willing to take. He couldn’t smell or hear anything different so he began to make his way back to Gwen and the kids with his extra supplies. Hopefully they could get through the night and by morning they could alert park officials around Lake Lilac that wolves were back in the area. 

 

Max looked around the small alcove he was in. It was closed off with some small shrubs in one corner but nothing really substantial he could hide in or defend himself with. There was the waterfall but again it was small and the pool of water at the base was more of a glorified puddle than an actual water source. There was nothing here that could really be useful to him. He was about to try his luck in the open woods when a series of yips and barks interrupted his thoughts. They were getting closer, probably drawn to the fresh water that didn’t stagnate in the lake all day. Max quickly looked around for anything he could use to hide. There was a small dead tree growing out of the high cliff that he might be able to jump to. Right now it was his only real option unless he wanted to face down the wolves himself. He could feel his hackles raise and the fur on his tail was starting to fluff out in fear. The yips of the pack were getting closer and he was running out of time. Max growled and ran over to the ridge, trying to find a way to get up by the tree. He jumped but missed it by quite a bit. He lashed his tail and crouched down instead. Focusing his weight onto his back legs, he focused on getting as high as possible with his next jump. Claws extended, he made one last attempt to get up the cliff before the wolves broke through the underbrush. 

His claws caught on the dried dead wood of the trees roots and he was able to pull himself up off the ground. Max could feel the wood giving out beneath his hands and he scrambled for a purchase. His tail lashed furiously and his feet pushed against the stone to crawl further up the tree roots and to safety. It was easy after that to find his way onto the cliff behind the tree and just in time as the wolves crashed into the clearing right as he hid himself further against the rock wall behind him. 

The wolves crowd around the small pool and Max watches as they play with each other by the water. Maybe he can get out of this without them noticing him. He just had to stay quiet and maybe they would go on their way before any of them smelled he was even there. Pushing himself against the back wall, he decided to wait until they passed.

 

David was helping all the kids settle into their giant blanket nest in the middle of the Mess Hall. It was easier than trying to get them all to sleep in the first place, at least at this point they were all already tired from having been sleeping in their tents. Gwen was busy pushing everything off to the sides of the room to give them as much space as possible as the they would be spending the night there with the kids as well. 

“Why are we here,” Nikki whined. She was tiredly curling up in the blankets. “We were comfortable in our tents, we didn’t need to come in here. Is this some weird sleepover camp?”

“What would be the point of a sleepover if we’re not all here?”

“Of course everyone’s here. We could never leave one of you kids outside if it was dangerous.” 

“Then where's Max?” Neil asked as he nervously wrung his hands together. His striped raccoon tail was almost always a little fluffed with his constant anxiety but it was easy to see he was worried about his friend. 

“Max?” David called expecting to hear a curse in return. The silence was all the answer he needed. “Max wasn’t here when you all came into the Hall? Was he there when Gwen woke you all up?”

Gwen looked up at her name being mentioned and came over to the group after stacking the benches against the far wall. “What’s going on over here? You kids need to get to sleep.”

“Max is missing.”

“He’s probably on one of his walks.”

“Walks? What kind of walk, Neil?” 

Nikki popped up from her nest with her tail wagging excitedly. “Max gets restless at night so he goes on walks around the camp when he has a bad night.”

“I offered to let him have some of my sleep meds to help him get through his nocturnal issue. They really helped me. But he said he didn't want them.”

“You mean to tell me that brat is out there with the possibility of wolves around the lake?” Gwen’s ears flattened against her hair. This was not how she wanted to spend her night. It was already bad enough cooped up in the Mess with all these kids but now, of all times, Max had to go missing. 

David was already pacing nervously, his energy getting the better of him as his anxiety rose. “We have to go get him. I can go and you can stay with the kids.”

“I'm not letting you go out there alone, we don't know where he is, he could be anywhere.”

“Sometimes he likes to go onto the trails if he's really looking to tire himself out,” Nikki piped up. “Are we going on an adventure? Nighttime hide and seek?”

“I don't think so,” David began but was quickly cut off be Gwen.

“Absolutely not. You guys are going to stay here with the Quartermaster while David and I go find your shitty little friend.” 

They all looked over to where the Quartermaster was sitting, hunched over by the many stacks of benches. The caribou hybrid had recently started to lose his velvet and none of the campers particularly wanted to be around him. 

“Can't we just go with you instead? I don't feel like being murdered tonight.”

“Neil, Nikki, we can't have you running around as well. We need to be able to focus on getting one child home.”

Gwen flicked her tail and grabbed David’s arm. “We need to go get ready if we're going to find him.” She turned to the kids still nervously waiting in their blanket nest. “We'll be back with Max before you even know it. Just behave and stay here or we'll be out there looking for you next.”

The two nodded and settled down to wait for their return. They might have been sleeping when Max left but they would be awake for his return.


	3. Chapter Three

David threw open the door to their shared rooms and quickly started digging around under his bed. Gwen started changing into something a bit more suitable for going on a trek through the woods. She grabbed a flashlight as well but with her night sight she really didn't need it. David, however, had relatively poor night vision when compared with his jaguarundi partner. She finished getting ready when a flare gun was pushed into her hands. 

“Mr. Campbell kept a few things laying around and I gathered a few myself, just for basic wilderness survival. He lets me live on the camp grounds with the Quartermaster through the off season but he doesn’t pay us for it so I need to be slightly self-sufficient. At least he never paid me. I don’t really know what keeps Quartermaster around.”

“I’m still not entirely convinced he's not an eldritch god sent to make this camp a nightmare for everyone who sets foot in it.”

David gave a brief snort at that before slightly reprimanding, “now Gwen, you know all the work he does to keep this camp functioning.”

“All I see him do is kill animals and run you over with the bus. Not exactly a role model.”

“Well, no, but that doesn't mean we need to make fun of him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Got anything that’ll actually take these puppies on? Metaphorically speaking? Or are we just supposed to throw the flare gun at them and hope for the best,” she asked sarcastically. 

“Well, maybe not the flare gun, that's more for if we get lost or are in need of help.” He pulled out a large rifle instead and handed that to Gwen. She took it with wide eyes as David explained. “It’s just a BB gun but it should drive anything away that comes after us. They hurt enough to be a deterrent and I’d rather not kill any animals if I can help it. They’re just doing what wolves do, you know?”

She nodded and swung the shoulder strap around her back before tucking the flare gun in the back pocket of her jeans. Not the safest practice but they didn't exactly have holsters and she needed to be able to move. She gasped as David pulled a shotgun from between his bedboards. It was old, obviously had been here before they had but just the fact that they even had a gun was shocking. Quartermaster’s collection of dud grenades was one thing but if the little box David was pulling out from his dresser was any indication, this gun works and he planned to have it ready to use. 

He carefully loaded the gun before he turned to Gwen and saw her shocked face. 

“I guess I just never thought I’d ever see you with a gun, knowing and being willing to use it.”

“I don’t like using it but Max is out there and we don’t know what he’s gotten himself into.”

David flicked the safety on and threw the shoulder sling around his arm before leading them both from their cabin. Gwen quickly took the lead, her jaguarundi half giving her excellent night sight. David made sure to follow the low beams from the flashlight so he wouldn't lose her as they set out to find their missing camper. 

He watched while she carefully sniffed the air around the trailhead, trying to catch a scent that might lead them to Max. While she might not have a dogs nose her senses were still superior to David’s. His remained mostly average while hers were all heightened. He did keep listening for anything that could lead them to Max.The only advantage he had. Anything that might help them find him. 

“Come on, he went this way.” Gwen took off down the trail, leading them up a hill and through the woods before they found themselves at a small river cascading downwards. “His scent stops here. Would he have gone down? Or maybe he doubled back?” 

“We left the trail a while ago. No wonder he’s lost.” He swiveled his ears, hoping to catch a sound that might point them in the right direction at least if Gwen couldn’t track him any further. “Max is smart, he’ll stay where he is and wait for someone to find him. He won’t risk running into any of the wildlife around here.” 

They heard the unmistakable sound of growling coming from below them, down in a small alcove where the river ran into a trickle of a waterfall. Barking and growling and panicked yelling. Yelling that sounded like their lost panther. 

“Or he might have already run into them,” Gwen sighed as she turned off her flashlight and instead pulled out the BB gun. She nods at David and follows him as he jumps down the ridge. He was admittedly better at climbing even if she was a cat, his small curved claws being better adapted to find the grip her own claws. As such he was the first to reach the next little stone ledge. 

David paused, unsure if he should wait for Gwen or keep heading down towards Max. He was sure it was Max, no other person would be out this late and have the bad luck to get caught by the wolves. 

“Go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Gwen told him and that was all the convincing he needed to make the leap down to the next ledge. They were going to get Max out of this together.

 

Max had pushed his back to the far side of the wall and he could feel the cold of the rock through his sweatshirt. He had pulled his knees to his chest and just resolved to wait this whole thing out. Maybe once he was alone he could climb back up the ledge. He’d had to turn back when the path ended there and instead ended up wandering down here anyway. Sometimes, most of the time actually, he cursed his luck. 

The wolves were settling down and some even sprawling out in the safe, enclosed area as if they were going to sleep. Max gave a soft growl at that and felt his tail lash in agitation. How long were they planning to stay here? If they stayed all night we wouldn't be able to move till someone came and scared them away. He groaned at the thought of not only being found lost in the woods, but also stupid enough to be cornered by some dumb dogs. 

His ear twitched and he reached up to take his hood off. He could have sworn he heard footsteps and talking. Maybe someone had come after him already? He uncurled himself from the stone ledge he was leaning against to try and see if he could spot anyone above him where the sounds were coming from. At this point he’d take the Quartermaster or even the Woodscouts if it would get him out of this. 

As he turned his shoe caught on some of the dead roots of the tree he was hiding behind. His first reaction was to yank his foot free while the second was to cringe at the sound of snapping wood reached his ears. Ears flattened against his skull as he heard the branches break on the ground below. What was the real problem was the wolves getting up to investigate the sound. He held his breath as he waited to see if they would find him.

A few of the wolves looked uninterested which was a good sign but then a large, fluffy, grey wolf got up to smell the splinters. Max waited silently even as he wanted to call out to the people above him. He needed to make sure it was safe to move before he tried anything else. 

The wolf snarled and Max could hear the others growl in response. He was unprepared for when one jumped up after him. Max abandoned all pretense of being quiet after that. 

“Motherfuc-” his swearing was cut off as another wolf jumped at him, this one managing to get its jaws over the ledge of the ridge he was hiding on. He started yelling at whoever was above him, just hoping to get their attention before the wolves got to him. 

They were starting to jump higher, claws scrabbling on the stone and growls growing louder as Max started to panic above them. They could smell the fear scent coming off the prey on the ledge and they doubled their efforts to reach the trapped meal.

Max could feel every bit of fur on his tail fluffed out in fear as another wolf leapt at him. He could see the light reflecting off their fangs and smell their gross breath as they tried to climb up to him. The stones underneath their massive paws started to fall away, leaving the foundation Max was standing on unstable. He yelled as the loose rock and dirt around his feet gave away and he started to lose his footing. 

“Max!”

He looked up even as his claws caught against the dry wood of the dead tree. It was his only support with the ground falling out from under him and the wolves working to tear down more with each jump. “David? What the hell are you doing here!” He was expecting someone who could actually help, someone who would actually be able to fight these wolves off, not David. He might as well take a bath in marinade and serve himself up to the fleabags below. 

“Max, be careful, I’m coming down to get you. Don’t get to close the ledge.”

“No shit, Sherlock!” 

He could hear David moving on the rocks above him, probably trying to figure out how to best climb down without taking more of the ledge down. He jerked upright at the sound of snapping wood. Now it was coming from right below him as the wolves dug their teeth into the hanging roots and pulled the bark away. Max felt the tree shake with each tug the wolves gave. The ground under him gave a final rumble and the tree he was desperately clawing onto creaked as it tipped over into the alcove. Max shouted in surprise as he was suddenly gripping the trunk to avoid falling down below into the waiting jaws of the wolves. He could see them much more clearly now that he was directly above them. They stopped their attack on the ledge as the tree fell and now they circled excitedly around the leaning tree in anticipation. He could hear their excited yips and it just made him tighten his grip on the crumbling bark, his claws digging into the dry wood.

A bright light flashed in an arc above him and he could see David picking his way down to the now almost nonexistent ledge Max had been hiding on. Following the smoke, he could even make out Gwen on a higher ledge, trying to scramble down the rocky sides as well. 

“Move it, kid!” 

“Max, come here,” David was clinging to the side of the ledge while reaching out to Max with his other hand. There was a kind of urgency Max hadn’t heard in his voice all summer. “As quickly as you can, that flare won’t stop them for long.” 

Sure enough, the wolves that had been spooked by the flare going up were slowly making their way back towards their soon-to-be meal after learning that the sudden light wouldn't actually hurt them. Max carefully retracted his claws and tried to get his tail under control. Balance would be essential if he wanted to make his way across the fallen tree back over to David. He started to crawl along the tree trunk, all sense of pride gone. He may joke about embracing death but he wasn’t about to actively seek it out. Not when he finally has people who care about him. 

Max was almost to the end of the tree, he was face to face with the same gnarled roots that started this mess when he felt David wrap an arm around him. His squirrel counselor lifted him up just as easily as he always had. Only this time he was pushed against the other's chest and told gruffly to hang on before the hand holding him went back to the rock face. 

The wolves had started growling and leaping at them again as they realized they had lost an easy meal. Max buried his face into the warm yellow shirt David always wore and tried to drown out the sound of their snapping jaws.

“Oh no you don't, you little bastards.” Gwen had made it to the ledge above them and had stopped while David pulled Max to safety. She could help lift them back up but too many people would only make it more dangerous on that small ledge. She quickly noticed the change in the wolves behavior and pulled her BB gun to point to the sky. She fired off a few shots, sighing in relief as their was a noticeable bark for each shot. Hopefully it would throw the wolves off again enough to get David and Max up to solid ground. “Get out of here, shoo, you mange-covered flea-bags.” 

David started slowly making his way up the unsteady ledge, mindful to keep distance between the rock face and Max while pulling them both up. He could feel Max’s tail wrapped around them and it wasn’t a big issue at the moment so he let the kid do what he needed to feel better. What was more of a problem was the claws digging into his skin. They had pierced his shirt and he could feel their sting each time he had to move his shoulders while pulling them up. 

Thankfully he was close enough now that he could see Gwen reaching down from the ledge above. “Hand him up then we can get you up here if you need the help.”

He gladly took her offer, trying to coax Max into letting go of his shirt. 

“I'm not some dumb kid you need to baby, I can do it myself,” Max protested as he was carefully lifted up into Gwen’s waiting arms. She grabbed him by the hood and quickly set him down beside her. 

“Sure you could, runt. Next you'll be telling me I'm a seahorse.”

Max bristled, “What did you just call me?” most of his fur was already on edge from his adrenaline rush so he made sure Gwen understood his displeasure by bearing his teeth and and lashing his tail. 

Gwen simply rolled her eyes. It was hard to really be intimidated by the short ten year old she just saved from becoming dinner. She promptly ignored him and instead focused on David. He was pulling himself up and over the ledge easily and didn't seem to need her help for that. She turned back to Max with a smirk however. “Now you're in for it. Enjoy.”

Max paused and tried to figure out what Gwen meant. Was David mad? Surely he wouldn't yell like he had on parent's day. He cautiously watched as the squirrel brought himself over the edge before turning to Max. He had just enough time to freeze as the adult came towards him before he was swept up into his arms and hugged. 

“Oh gosh, Max. I was so worried. Please don't ever do that again.”

Max was still frozen as David hugged him, staring in shock as he was gripped tighter. He noticed Gwen walk over and lay her hand on his shoulder which was enough to snap David out of whatever thoughts he may be having. The gasp still managed to make Max flinch as he was held out at arm's length and inspected. “You’re not hurt are you?” 

“What? No, now get off me. I just want to go back to that shitty camp and go to bed.”

“Don’t think that you’re going to get out of talking about this, mister. We are going back to camp where we are going to bandage you up and then get you to bed. After you take a nap then we talk about why wandering off at night is a bad idea.”

Max groaned. “I think I got the memo. Down please.”

“Nope. You ran away and worried us sick. You asked for this.” Gwen smirked as Max was just cuddled closer to David. He could hear the slight clicking that let him know the man was bruxing. His eyes widened and he started trying to push the over-excited squirrel off him. “You’ve got him in mother hen mode.” 

David started to make his way back to Camp Campbell with Max in his arms as Gwen led the way. It was still dark but they had found Max and could take the time to come down from the adrenaline high that led them there. Max had tired himself out with his little adventure as well and after putting up a token fight in David’s arms, found himself instead sleepily purring. David was nearly in tears while Gwen smiled and purposely scratched lightly against the boy’s lower neck. This caused his volume to increase and David to almost start bouncing. 

“Oh my gosh, I’ve never wanted to have a camera more than I do right now. He looks so peaceful. What was that thing you did with his neck?”

Gwen laughed and led them back into camp. They were finally back. Maybe now they could relax and she might even be able to convince David to start camp an hour later so they could all get some sleep. “It just makes him more relaxed. He may be a big bad black panther but he’s still just a cub. In this case it’ll keep him sleeping till we can get him cleaned up and he won’t be able to claw your face for carrying him.” She opened the counselor's cabin and let David walk in with his purring bundle. “I can't guarantee your safety if you decide to bring up his purring though.”

David set Max down on his bed while Gwen dug out the first aid kit. She noted they were getting low on certain supplies, no doubt due to the crazy summer they’d been having. She pulled out some antibiotic ointment and a few bandages. It just looked like the kid had a few cuts and bruises from his ordeal. Easy to fix.

While she was readying supplies David was waking Max up. The kid woke like the dead. He was not a graceful sleeper and Gwen had to agree with David. She needed a camera if only to capture that mess of a bedhead. His tail flicked in agitation and he reached out to try and grab something. His eyes snapped open when his hands closed around nothing and he finally seemed to notice he wasn’t in his own tent. 

“Well. Fuck. I’m guessing you two don’t have anything good to drink around here? I need to at least get my weight in caffeine if I’m going to be expected to be around people today.” 

“Max, it’s still night. We just need to get you bandaged up and you can go back to sleep.” David flicked his tail as he took the ointment from Gwen. “Now off with that hoodie so we can clean the cuts on your arms.”

He groaned and pulled the blue sweatshirt off. His hands did sting now that he paid attention to them. After discarding the hoodie is was clear why. They were covered in cuts and splinters from the tree he’d been stuck to all night. His jeans had protected his knees but his palms were a mess. He shoved them out to David with a pout. “Whatever. Just make this quick. I might still be able to fall back asleep.”

“Of course Max.” David hummed and knelt in front of his camper to start pulling out splinters and rub in the antibiotic. Gwen started purring lowly as she prepared the bandages for Max and soon Max was lazily purring as well with his eyes half open. David scooted aside to make room for Gwen so she could wrap the bandages around Max’s hands. 

“Go to sleep you little brat,” Gwen purred. David moved to get up and she shot him a questioning look. “Where do you think you’re going. Someone has to keep an eye on this fluffy ball of trouble.”

“I heard that.” 

They shared a smile as Max didn’t even get up from underneath the blankets he had snuggled into to make his retort.

“Someone has to check on the other campers. Lord knows I wouldn't want to be left alone with the Quartermaster all night.”

She huffed and pushed David back into his recliner. “You stay here, I’ll go check on the kids. If you go you’ll just be back before dawn anxious with worry. Keep an eye on him and I’ll make sure the rest of the children of the corn don't get to rowdy.” She gave him a quick kiss before heading out to go to the Mess Hall. She flicked her ears at him as she left. “Let me know when he wakes up, yeah?”

He smiled and turned back to the sleeping bundle on his bed. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for this fic but I think I might play around with this universe a bit more.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a huge fan of furry ass aus like this so of course I'm going to post trash like this.


End file.
